Lake Oroumeih (Urmia), Iran
Lake Oroumeih (also spelled as Lake Urmia) is a major water body in northwest Iran. At the present time it is the largest lake in the Middle East and the third largest salt water lake on the planet. However, dams on feeder streams, expanded use of ground water in the region, and a decades long major drought have caused the lake to diminish. The result is a major change in the region's ecosystem and a significant change in the area's economy. The increased salinity of the remaining water has led to an absence of fish and has destroyed habitat for migratory waterfowl. Traditional tourism and recreation no longer are factors for Lanthe small communities near the lake. United Nations environmental studies indicate the lake is now 60% of the size it was in the 1980s and, at the current rate, will be completely dry by the end of 2013. The lake is Iran's biggest inland body of water and one of the saltiest lakes in the world. UNESCO has registered it as a Biosphere Reserve and it is listed as a wetland of international importance under the 1971 Ramsar Convention. With a surface area of about 464,000 hectares, the lake is a national park and the Iran's Department of Environment, DOE, is responsible for its maintenance and protection. The lake has 102 islands and is reputed to have therapeutic properties. It is an important habitat for birds and sealife including a unique crustacean called Artemia urmiana
